Locking assembly for electric outboard fishing motors

ABSTRACT

A locking assembly for electric outboard fishing motors with a manually actuated and spring-biased rod received within an aperture on the clamping cradle of the assembly when the propeller column supporting bracket and column are substantially horizontally disposed (a storage position) or disposed substantially perpendicularly to the clamping face of said cradle. The rod is part of an angular adjustment mechanism for the motor.

UnitedSta'tes Patent" [72] Inventor Ralph C. Osborn Bloomington, Ill. Appl. No. 873,186

(115/18UX) 292/174X 115/17 115/18X 2,909,254 /1959 l-lallock........................ 2,911,938 ll/1959 Hulsebus... 3,424,412 1/1969 Gayle...........................

Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss [22] Filed Nov. 3, 1969 Patented May 11, 1971 p [73] Assignee Osborn Engineering Corporation Attorney-Mann, Brown, McWilliams & Bradway [54] ABSTRACT: A locking assembly for electric outboard fishing 4 Claims, 4 Dn motors with a manually actuated and spring-biased rodmg received within an aperture on the clamping cradle of the as- [52] US. 248/4, sembly when the propeller column supporting bracket and 1 15/ l 8 col mn are substantially horizontally disposed (a storage posi- [51] Int. B63h 21/26 tion) or disposed substantially perpendicularly to the clamp- Field of 248/4, 278, ing face of said cradle. The rod is part of an angular adjustment mechanism for the motor.

The present invention is directed to new 'and useful improvements in locking assembliesfor holding the propellersupporting shaft of an electric outboard motor at a selected angular position.

Electric outboard fishing motor assemblies usually include a I clamping cradle for clamping engagement with the gunwale or other portion of a boat and a bracket pivotally mounted on the cradle for supporting a rotatable column carrying the motordriven propeller 'at the lower end thereof. In the past various means have been proposed for holding the column at a selected angular disposition with respect to the cradle to thereby allow a selective setting of the depth at which the propelleroperates.

In some previous electric fishing motor constructions such locking means have taken the form of a notched segment formed integrally with the cradle with some type of level or bar selectively engaging the notches to hold the column at the selected angle and depth. I

When such motors are not being used it is desirable to store the column in a substantially horizontal position or a position substantially parallel to the general horizontal plane of the boat so that the propeller and motor are well clear of the surface of the water. Accordingly, the primary purposes of the present invention are to provide 'a simple and inexpensive locking assembly for outboard motors as above described and which enable positive holding of the propeller-supporting column or shaft in a stored or substantially horizontal position, while providing simple means for unlocking the assembly and while at the same time utilizing a locking bar which cooperates both with the toothed or grooved segment for selective depth setting of the propeller and with the locking facilities for the storage position.

These and other purposes will become more apparent in the course of the ensuing specification and claims when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:'

FIG. I is a perspective view of a typical electrical outboard fishing motor incorporating the vention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cradle and column supporting bracket illustrated in FIG. 1 while illustrating the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the cradle and bracket assembly illustrated in FIG. 2; and

principles of the present in- FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

With specific reference to the drawings, and in the first instance to FIG. I, the numeral IO- de'signates a propeller-supporting shaft or column of an electric outboard fishing motor.

Column is rotatably supported-in spaced sleeves 11 and 12 of a bracket pivotally mounted, as at 13, on a supporting cradle 14. The pivot axis of the pivot 13 is generally parallel to the clamping face 15 of the cradle. An extensible screw I6 is carried by the cradle and has a pad 17 on the inner end thereof so as to clampingly engage the gunwale of a boat between the pad 17 and the clamping facelS.

In motors of this type the upper end of the column 10 carries a handle 18 for rotating column 10- about its axis to change the direction of thrust of a propeller 19 carried at the lower end of the column. An electric drive motor 20 for the propeller may be carried by the lower end of the column, although in some cases the motor 20 may be mounted at the upper end of the column in which case a suitable drive shaft is provided through the column 10 for the propeller 19. A battery cable 200 is provided for motor 20. Column 10 has a collar 2 l which rests onthe upper sleeve 11 to thereby support the column.

The cradle 14 may be formed with spaced segments 22 and 23 (FIG. 3) having teeth 24 and notches, 25 for engagement with a locking element carried by the column supporting bracket to thereby hold the column at a selected angular disposition relative to the cradle. The teeth and notches are positioned so that shaft 10 may be held substantially parallel to clamping face 15 and at various angles relative thereto.

In accordance with the present invention the cradle is 7 formed with anupstanding projection 26 and this projection extends generally parallel to the plane clamping face I5 of the cradle. Projection 26 has an aperture 27 fonned therein with its axis extending generally perpendicular to the general plane of the projection. A locking rod 28 is slidably' carried in aligned apertures in spaced bosses 29 and 30 of the column supporting bracket and is adapted for alignment with aperture 27 when the propeller-supporting column 10 is disposed generally horizontally or generally perpendicularly to the plane of the clamping face 15. Rod 28 extends generally parallel to shaft or column 10. Projection 26 need not be parallel to clamping face 15 and as shown in the drawings it may be formed at a slight angle to the clamping face. Also rod 28 need not be parallel to shaft 10 as long as it is aligned with aperture 27 when shaft 10 is in the desired, substantially horizontal,

, storage position, It is,'however, convenient and practical to form the rod 28 and projection 26 inthe positions illustrated. A spring 31 surrounds a reduced portion of rod 28 and extends between boss 30 and a shoulder 32 on rod 28 so as to bias the rod toward the locked position illustrated in FIG. 2. In this position the rod holds the column supporting bracket at the storage position. In this position the propeller and motor are held well clear of the water.

In order to unlock the assembly from the position illustrated in FIG. 2, a locking bar 33 is fixed to the rod 28 andextends transversely thereto. Bar 33 is adapted for reception within a channel 34 formed in boss 30. The walls defining channel 34 have a length such that they may be easily moved between the two spaced segments 22 and 23 of the cradle. A knob 35 on the bar 33 allows the user to pull the bar outwardly from the channel against the bias of spring 31 and remove rod 28 from aperture 27, whereupon the propeller-supporting column may be swung downwardly or in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2.

The locking bar 33 may also be used to cooperate with the teeth 24 and notches 25 of the segments 22 and 23, as illustrated in FIG. I, so as to releasably hold the propeller-supporting column at a selected angular disposition relative to the cradle l4.

It should be noted that the locking end of locking rod is beveled asat 280 so that just prior to the time that bar 33 clears the upper ends of the segments 22 and 23, the beveled end 28a will abut against the upwardly extending surface 26a of projection 26. The angle of the bevel is such that the beveled surface is flush with the surface 26a in this position, as is illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 2, and is effective to hold the rod against the surface 260. The spacing, dimensions and arrangement are such, therefore, that locking rod 28 is prevented from abutting against the top of projection 26 which would prevent upward swinging movement. As the column mounting bracket is moved from the dotted .line position to the'full line position illustrated in FIG. 2, the beveled end 28a of the locking rod is cammed against the upwardlyfextending surface 26a of the projection 26 against the bias of FIG. 4 illustrates amodified form of the invention utilizing the same column supporting bracket and cradle assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 but with a modification to the cradle and with a-different form of manual release of the locking rod. In FIG. 4 the upstanding projection 36' on the cradle is thicker than the projection illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and is formed so that the aperture 371therein receives not' only the end of locking rod 28 but also a manual ejector rod 38. Rod 38 has a knob 39 on the end thereof so that by pushing inwardly on the knob 39 the end of rod 38 contacts the end of rod 28 and forcibly ejects it from the aperture 37 against the bias of the spring 31. Rod 38 may be captivated in aperture 37 by means of a setscrew 380 which travels within a slot 38); of the projection when rod 38 is reciprocated. The ejector defined by the rod 38 may be used in addition to the locking bar and provide an alternative form of release of the rod 28 from the aperture. The use of a rod as at 38 in FIG. 4 may be more convenient to a fisherman within the boat than the bar 33, depending upon the position of the fisherman and the particular mounting location of the carriage on the boat.

It should be noted that the locking rod 28 provides not only a locking function for the storage position but also provides a guiding support for the locking bar 33 when locking bar 33 is moved into and out of engagement between teeth of the toothed segments.

[claim 1. In an electric outboard fishing motor drive of the type having a propeller-supporting column mounted in a bracket which is pivotally mounted on a clamping cradle having a clamping face, the improvement comprising an upstanding projection on said cradle, a locking rod slidably mounted on said bracket, said projection having an aperture therein aligned with said rod when said column is substantially transverse to said clamping face, spring means for biasing said rod toward said aperture whereby said rod may be held in said aperture to hold said column in said substantially transverse position said cradle including at least one segment of arcuate extent less than and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches therein, said segment having an upper end spaced below said locking rod when said rod is received in said aperture, said rod including a laterally extending portion adapted for selective reception within one of said notches to hold said column at a selected angle relative to said cradle, said rod having an end face positioned to snub against said projection as said rod and segment engaging portion thereof are moved upwardly out of segment engagement with the upper end of said segment and to thereafter slidingly engage said projection during further upward swinging movement of said bracket and column, further upward swinging movement of said bracket and column being effective tocam said locking rod against the bias of said spring until said rod is aligned with and seated within said aperture.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said end face of said rod is beveled.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said projection on said rod includes an operating handle for said rod.

4. The improvement set forth in claim 1 characterized by and including a second rod carried within said aperture and opposed to said rod whereby movement of said second rod toward said locking rod forces said locking rod from said aperture to thereby release said bracket. 

1. In an electric outboard fishing motor drive of the type having a propeller-supporting column mounted in a bracket which is pivotally mounted on a clamping cradle having a clamping face, the improvement comprising an upstanding projection on said cradle, a locking rod slidably mounted on said bracket, said projection having an aperture therein aligned with said rod when said column is substantially transverse to said clamping face, spring means for biasing said rod toward said aperture whereby said rod may be held in said aperture to hold said column in said substantially transverse position, said cradle including at least one segment of arcuate extent less than 90* and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches therein, said segment having an upper end spaced below said locking rod when said rod is received in said aperture, said rod including a laterally extending portion adapted for selective reception within one of said notches to hold said column at a selected angle relative to said cradle, said rod having an end face positioned to snub against said projection as said rod and segment engaging portion thereof are moved upwardly out of segment engagement with the upper end of said segment and to thereafter slidingly engage said projection during further upward swinging movement of said bracket and column, further upward swinging movement of said bracket and column being effective to cam said locking rod against the bias of said spring until said rod is aligned with and seated within said aperture.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said end face of said rod is beveled.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said projection on said rod includes an operating handle for said rod.
 4. The impRovement set forth in claim 1 characterized by and including a second rod carried within said aperture and opposed to said rod whereby movement of said second rod toward said locking rod forces said locking rod from said aperture to thereby release said bracket. 